Charmed: The Next Generation
by Melinda Sandy Halliwell
Summary: Wyatt, Chris, and Melinda navigate what it means to be the Charmed Ones, struggling with their added baggage.
1. Chapter 1

AN: Despite my screen name, this is my first Charmed fic. I LOVE Charmed, and am kind of excited about starting this story.

This is based, at least partially, on an RP I did a couple of years ago with my best friend. That's where the character Shayn comes from. You'll learn more about Shayn as the story progresses.

So that it doesn't get unwieldy, this story will focus on Piper and Leo's children rather than bringing in the cousins. Wyatt, Chris, and Melinda. Some of the development that will happen with Melinda come from that RP, though we never actually got to explore it (yet *crosses fingers*).

The three share a house, but it's not the Halliwell Manor, though it's probably not far down the road from the Manor.

Enjoy!

* * *

A primal scream tore through the brownstone the siblings rented. Chris sighed, though he did not run to the source of the cry. He did, however, reflect yet again on how much he hated being the middle child. Why couldn't he be the youngest?

Of course, if he'd been the youngest, he'd be the one expressing frustration, and he knew it.

Taking a deep breath, he resumed chopping vegetables and tried to ignore his older brother as the other entered the kitchen.

"She's a drama queen."

Chris was a peacemaker. His powers reflected his White Lighter heritage almost more than the fact that he was the son of a Charmed One. He preferred to smooth over the conflict between his siblings, and he avoided taking sides at all costs. So instead of commenting, he simply tightened his jaw and continued what he was doing.

"She really needs to grow up." Chris could hear the frustration in Wyatt's voice as the other grabbed a soda out of the refrigerator. The frustration didn't surprise him. Everyone was frustrated with the never ending argument between brother and sister, including their parents, aunts and uncles, cousins, her best friend/his boyfriend; everyone.

He tuned out Wyatt as the advice from his father flashed through his mind.

_"Chris, if you're going to double as the White Lighter, you have to act like it. And I don't just mean healing or orbing your sister around."_

_Leo had smiled and placed his hand on his son's shoulder, "I learned something from being the Sisters' White Lighter. Sometimes, peacemaking isn't about pacifying everyone or smoothing over hurt feelings. More often than not, it means taking a stand, and doing what it takes to affect reconciliation."_

_The former White Lighter/Elder pinned Chris with a piercing look, "The three of you are, in some ways worse. And sometimes help will have to come from outside. But, if you want to prove to the Elders that you don't need a full time White Lighter, well, you know what you need to do. And believe me, you can."_

He sighed as he turned to the stove to sauté the vegetables; Wyatt's ranting once more registering. "I really just do not get what her problem is."

"You know, Wy, she does have a point."

Wyatt turned to stare at his brother, "You're kidding, right?"

"No." Chris glanced at his brother before turning his attention back to the vegetables. "We're supposed to be the Power of Three now, but you do kind of tend to take over. And you're more protective of her than you are of me."

"That's ridiculous. I am not. And it's not exactly like I asked to be the Twice Blessed." The blonde shook his head, "She's just over sensitive, and so are you, apparently." He took a sip of his soda and shrugged, "Like it or not, the fact of the matter is that I'm more powerful than either of you. Why shouldn't I keep you from getting hurt."

"Well, because we're not innocents who need protecting?"

This time it was Wyatt who sighed, "But you are my little brother and sister. And if I seem like I'm protecting her more, it's because she can't orb out." He laughed a bit, "So, no, I'm not going to apologize that I don't want to attend the funeral of one of my siblings; I don't want to only get to talk to you as ghosts or to you as a full White Lighter."

"You could try trusting us." Chris was not sure at what point Melinda had joined them in the kitchen, but he was glad to see her calm again. That was usually how it worked-Melinda hated feeling out of control, a good scream and some time alone, and she usually found her equilibrium.

Wyatt frowned at her, though Chris smiled supportively. "I do trust you."

Melinda shook her head, "No you don't. At least not in a fight. You don't trust that we can take care of ourselves." The young woman sighed, saw that Chris already had dinner too far underway for her to use cooking to soothe her nerves, and sat down at the counter.

"At least you don't trust me. As you said, worst case scenario, Chris can orb out. And to be honest, except for the whole convergence thing, he'd be as strong as you, almost is." Chris grimaced. He had hoped that by making it about both of them, Melinda's insecurities would be put to rest, but she had seen right past it. Wyatt was protective of him, but there was no question that it was different than with Mel.

"Look, I get that I got the short end of the genetic stick. And I understand that it was that or not exist at all." She shrugged, "But just because Dad was mortal when he and Mom conceived me, doesn't mean I'm not a damn strong witch. I am still the daughter of a Charmed one, I was still taught magic by the best possible teachers, and in any other family, I'd probably be the strongest witch."

Her jaw clenched slightly before continuing, and Chris felt a surge of pride in her, and in Wyatt for not interrupting her. "If we're going to be the Power of Three, then you have to stop treating me like a tag-along or a liability. And I have to be more than just the one who mixes potions or is needed for a Power of Three spell."

Sighing, the eldest sibling nodded slowly. "I'll try. But I'm not going to stop all together. A fireball that you can't freeze or a demon going after you, I'm going to take it out or orb you or do whatever it takes. I'm not losing you."

The young woman smiled a bit, "As long as I'm allowed to have your back, too."

Chris let out a sigh of relief, "We have to protect each other, that's what makes the Power of Three work."

* * *

"Got into another fight?"

Looking up, Melinda frowned slightly, "How could you tell?"

The young man moved to sit beside her on the sofa. "I know you well enough to know the signs. The wrinkle of frustration, the fact that you're at P3 on a slow night hiding out in the alcove, and the fact that Chris sent me a warning text."

Melinda grimaced as she laid her head on his shoulder, "Do I want to know what it said?"

He shrugged, "Truce called, hopefully lasting peace. Don't let either drag you into the middle of it."

She laughed, "Sounds like Chris." Melinda sighed as she closed her eyes, "There are moments I wish you weren't dating Wyatt, Shayn. When I wish you were still just mine."

Shayn shook his head as she put an arm around his best friend, "It might have made things easier, but you also don't have to hide things from me anymore." He chuckled, "Of course when you used to complain that your big brother was over-protective, I always thought you meant in the normal way."

Opening an eye, she grinned, "Wish you could go back to believing that?"

"No. And, while I know it's different, if it helps, he can be the same way with me. Though, so can a certain feisty young woman…"

Melinda raised her head and glared at him, "Because you're still new to all this. So not the same thing!"

A smirk was her only answer.

She sighed and rested her head back on his shoulder, and the two sat in silence for a few moments before she asked, "Do you ever feel closer to Chris than to either of us?"

"What?" Melinda turned slightly to see him staring at her.

"Being caught in the middle, do you ever feel closer to Chris?"

He shook his head, letting out a snort, "I tend to forget how you get when you feel vulnerable and self-doubting." Again he kissed her forehead, "You're my best friend, Mel. I've gotten close to Chris, yes. And we've bonded a lot over this ongoing war between you and Wyatt, but I'm still yours and you're still mine. You're stuck with me."

"Good." There were moments when she wished things were different, but at the same time, she treasured what she had, and she could not think of any one she'd prefer to be with her brother, or her best friend.

* * *

Wyatt flipped through the pages of the Book of Shadows. He hated to admit that Chris and Melinda could be right, that he might be over protective, but he knew that they were. The demons they'd fought earlier that day had not been overly strong, and they really were not something that Mel could not have faced on her own, but he'd still barely let her get a freeze in.

What he needed was a spell that he could use to protect Melinda, something that he could use without her even realizing it. Then he could still be the good big brother, watching out for his baby sister and let her be a full member of the Power of Three. He was actually quite proud of his solution.

Unfortunately, he was not having any luck finding the kind of spell that he was looking for. There were protection spells, of course, but nothing along the lines of what he needed, nothing that would hold up if the protectee was in an actual battle with a demon.

"Come on, Book, help a brother out." He sighed in frustration, "I just need something to keep Mel safe."

"Yeah, there's nothing in there for what you're looking for." Turning around, Wyatt saw a figure materializing. "You know, I made the same mistake you're making. I thought that because I was the oldest, even the strongest, that it was my job to protect Piper and Phoebe."

"Aunt Prue." He closed the book and gave the ghost of his aunt his full attention. "It's not exactly the same, you know. I really am the strongest."

Prue shrugged, "For now. I know all about your birth Wyatt. I know all about your powers, about convergences and destinies and swords." She smiled, "But even with all that, I know that Chris and Melinda are damn strong themselves. And you may think you're the strongest, you may even be the strongest, but it's never been the Power of One."

She smiled as she walked over to the book, a ghostly hand tracing the triqueta on the cover. "When I was alive, I tried to protect Piper and Phoebe. I would have never admitted it, but I did tend to think that I was the head witch of the Power of Three, and that they were my assistants. My power was more…flashy, more obvious."

"But you know what I learned?" Prue looked over to her oldest nephew, "I learned that I was really stifling them. The whole time, I'd been keeping them from reaching their potential. It was only when I died, and they were forced to continue without me, that they were able to begin to be truly strong witches on their own accounts.

"The whole time I thought it was my job to keep them safe. I thought that Mom and Grams had left me this…" she gestured wildly, "this divine mandate to protect my younger sisters. But instead of protecting them, I was preventing them from living into their own destinies."

Moving back to Wyatt, she placed her hands on his arms, "So listen to me; learn from my mistakes. Don't make Chris and Mel find out just how strong they can be at your funeral. It's the Power of Three, Wyatt. And until you all fully embrace that, until you work together as a team, a unit that protects each other, you'll never reach your full potential."

Standing on her tiptoes, the ghost kissed his cheek. "I believe in you, Wyatt. All three of you."

* * *

"So." Melinda looked up from where she sat curled on the couch to see Wyatt leaning in the doorway. "Look, I just wanted to apologize. You're right. I should trust you more." He smiled warmly to his little sister, "I'm not going to let you die, but you are a kick ass witch, and I need to start treating you as such."

Melinda smiled, "Thanks, Wy. I know how difficult this is for you."

He shook his head, "No. I don't think you do. I love you, Mel. I love both you and Chris, and so the idea of either of you being in danger, it pulls out a protective side in me, and I cannot and will not apologize for that." He moved to the couch, sitting beside her, "You know, when we were kids, especially when Mom and Dad would drop us off at Magic School or Grandpa's, they'd always tell me to look out after you and Chris. Your first day of High School? All of growing up. It's part of being the big brother, the oldest."

Raising an eyebrow, the youngest of the three looked at her brother. "Is this meant to be an excuse?"

Wyatt laughed, "No, just…I can't guarantee that I'll never be over protective again. And I guess I wanted you to understand where it comes from. That, despite how it might feel to you, it's not a matter of trust. You've inherited Momma's powers, and I am not foolish enough to underestimate you." He reached over and ruffled her hair, "But a lifetime of being told to take care of you and Chris, and the fact that, fair or not, I did win some kind of genetic power lottery, means that I cannot just not protect you guys. So I guess what I am asking, is that if I try, that you cut some slack?"

The young woman laughed softly, "I'll cut you some slack, if I can also call you on it without being treated like a little kid."

"Deal."

"I'm going to hold you to that." Melinda smiled, "And I don't know what Chris and Shayn will do if we're really calling off this war."

The Twice Blessed smirked, "Probably throw a party."

Laughing, Melinda nodded. "And Momma will probably cater."


	2. Chapter 2

Melinda smiled as she passed the glass of beer to the patron. Weekend nights could be fun, though with the popularity of P3, they also tended to be stressful, which was why she enjoyed week night shifts. The music was piped in, and patrons tended to sit rather than dancing, but those were just indicators of a calmer evening.

She and Shayn were the only ones tending that evening, along with a couple of servers. That, in and of itself, was nice. To have time with her best friend without her brother sometimes seemed like a rarity. Melinda didn't begrudge them their time together, but she did miss Shayn at times.

Looking over to Shayn, her smile grew.

As if sensing her glance, he looked up and grinned. "We don't do this enough, do we?"

"No. We don't." She turned her attention back to the bar, taking an order. As she moved to mix the drink, she hip bumped him lightly.

Shayn chuckled, "Well, we're both off tomorrow. And Wy's manager on duty. So...movie night?"

"Movie night." A sharp nod of her head indicated her agreement as she poured the drink and then handed it over.

Glancing out at the club, she watched for a moment, content. Though her smile dropped as she caught something out of the corner of her eye.

"Shayn, did you see that?"

She could hear the frown in his voice as he answered, "See what?"

Melinda shook her head slightly, still looking over the club, not wanting to miss it if it happened again. "I'm not sure exactly. A...flash of darkness?"

He moved closer to her, thankful that no one was at the bar at that moment. "Are you sure that you're not just projecting? That you maybe aren't just wanting to prove yourself to Wy?"

Her jaw tightened for just a moment before she sighed. "I don't know. Maybe. Just..." Melinda shrugged and looked over at Shayn, who did look a touch remorseful. "You never know. Just, keep an eye out? Please."

Shayn could not help but laugh. "Sweetie, around you guys, I always do."

As the night went on, Melinda almost forgot about the flash she'd seen, as the evening seemed rather calm.

"Margarita, please."

Melinda smiled at the patron and nodded, "Coming up."

The patron was dressed in black and dark blue. Mel figured he was in his late twenties, and half considered asking Shayn if he was attractive. He was better at noticing that kind of thing than she was, though even she knew that if he were it was in a "bad boy" kind of way.

As she passed him his drink, he smiled, "Nice club."

"We like it." It was not unusual for people to talk to her or for men to flirt with her when she was behind the bar. At first, she'd found it flattering; now, it was just an annoying reality that she tried to ignore.

"I understand it's family run." He grinned at her, giving her a clearly calculating once over. "So, would you be a member of the family?"

"You don't have to be a family member to get hired here." Melinda smiled and then turned to help another guest, wanting to end the conversation.

It took a few minutes, but he eventually took his drink and moved away from the bar.

"You ok?"

She looked over to Shayn. "Yeah." Shrugging she chuckled lightly, "You know how it is, by now."

Shayn nodded, "I do, but that one seemed odd to me."

"Me too." Letting out a breath, she shrugged it off. "It's fine though."

Piper came out of the back office. She'd been working on the books, but had been available if anyone had needed her. "Good evening." She smiled to her daughter and then moved to grab a broom to help clean up. "Not needed even once. Gotta admit, maternal pride and feeling of not being needed are warring with each other."

Rolling her eyes, Melinda continued to wipe down the bar. "Over-dramatic much?"

Shayn was the only one left at that point in the evening. Looking to Melinda, he smirked, "Oh, so that's where you get it from. Definitely explains that little bit of paranoia earlier this evening. Or was that eagerness?"

"Do I want to know?"

"No, Mom. It was nothing. Just...it was nothing."

Piper frowned, "Maybe, but the mantle is still new. There are plenty who might think now would be the time to take advantage of it."

"Um...I know, remember?" Shayn's voice betrayed a bit of the awkwardness that he admitted to feeling around the woman was his boss, his best friend's mother, and his boyfriend's mother, not to mention an extremely powerful witch.

"Sorry, Shayn." Piper smiled to the boy, "Force of habit. Mel, if your instinct told you there was something to be worried about, then you have to pay attention."

"We kept our eyes open, Mom. Nothing happened."

"All right. You should have told me, though." She frowned at the two.

"Ok, you know what." Melinda moved over to pick up the trash bags, "the whole point of us taking over, was that we don't have to tell you every time something happens or we think it might." She shook her head, "Just, trust that you taught us well. And that we will come to you if we need help."

She did not wait to hear her mother's response, as she was pretty sure that she could have predicted it. Instead, she took the bags out into the alley to throw them into the dumpster. As she threw the bags over, she felt a sudden pain in her right shoulder..

Turning around, she threw her hands out to freeze the attacker. "Darklighter." Melinda was not particularly surprised to see that it was the creeper from earlier in the evening. "So the flash of darkness was not my imagination." She glanced over her shoulder, seeing the bolt sticking out and sighed. That was going to hurt. "Got the wrong sibling."

Shaking her head, she moved to the frozen darklighter, took his crossbow and bolts, and shot him with one of them. As he disintegrated, she reflected on how glad she was that it had not been one of her brothers or cousins.

As she came back into the bar, her mother looked up, frowning deeply at the crossbow she carried and deeper as she noticed the bolt and blood on her back. "Office now."

Shayn's face was ashen. He'd seen demons, even helped fight one or two, but the calmness Melinda and Piper were demonstrating bothered him as much as the fact that his best friend had a crossbow bolt in her shoulder. "So, I guess I owe you an apology. What happened?"

"Darklighter. Creeper from earlier in the night." She glanced at the bolt as she followed her mother. "Glad it was me."

"Yeah..." Shayn shook his head as he followed her. "So glad it was you. Why are we glad it's you?"

"Darklighter bolt. They're tipped in a poison that only affects Whitelighters." She smirked, "Hurts like hell, and don't freak out when I scream here in a minute, but the poison won't affect me. Wyatt or Chris? It could actually kill them."

"Oh." He sighed as he rubbed his head. "This is one of those moments when I kinda wish I was normal."

Piper laughed, though it was a kind of bitter laugh, "Those will be more and more common, Shayn." Gesturing towards a stool, she turned to Melinda, "Sit. Shayn, can you get some gauze and medical tape? Oh, and disinfectant."

"Can't Chris or Wyatt heal her?" He looked confused even as he moved to find the first aid kit.

"Not while the bolt is in her." Piper frowned, "This would be easier if I could freeze you."

Shayn frowned as he found the first aid kit, which did not have enough gauze for what was going to happen. "So, they can heal her as soon as it's out." Concentrating, he conjured what he needed.

Mel shook her head, "No. If that darklighter wasn't alone, no. They can heal me when I get home."

"You are both too calm about this." Looking at his hands he noticed that they were trembling.

Having what she needed to clean and bandage the wound and Melinda having removed her shirt, Piper moved behind Melinda, "Ready?"

"No, but go ahead." Eyes closed, Melinda let out a guttural growl as Piper forced the bolt through her shoulder.

"Ok, you're ok. This, is going to sting..."

Tears running down Melinda's cheek, Piper cleaned the wound and then bandaged it, not saying anything to Shayn about how he got the bandages. "Shayn, can you drive Mel home?"

"Yeah." He was trembling even harder having watched that, no color left in his face.

Piper looked up at the young man, "You sure? I can take you both home."

"No. I can." He nodded, forcing himself not to tremble so much.

Parking in front of the house, Shayn looked over at Melinda. She was pale and sweating, with her eyes closed and her hands clenched into fists. "So, this is what it looks like to be not affected by Darklighter poison?"

Melinda swallowed and tried to smile, "I think maybe it was tipped with other poison too?"

"Mm-hmm." He shook his head skeptically and turned off the car. Once he was out of the car, Shayn moved quickly to the passenger side and helped Melinda out. As she leaned against him, he sighed. "This is becoming far too much of a habit."

"Sorry...I'll try not to get poisoned next time." Again, her smile was weak, but Shayn managed a small chuckle at her joke.

"See that you do!"

The door was opened before they got there, as Chris met them. "Mom called. Get her to the couch."

Wyatt frowned as he watched Chris kneel next to their sister once Shayn got her to lie down. "You ask me to see this and not be overprotective?"

Melinda opened her eyes and glared at her eldest brother, "You are not being helpful. If it had been you, you'd be dying."

Chewing his lower lip, Shayn moved to Wyatt. "Should it be taking this long?"

Chris shook his head, holding his glowing hands over the wound, "No. Darklighter poison, however, is harder to heal, since it's tailor-made."

"Wait." Melinda looked up at Chris, "It's...I'm not..."

"I know." His frown of concentration deepened as the wound finally began to close. "But that's what's going on. There." He finally pulled back, "Healed."

"This is not fair." She slowly sat up, turning her glare between her two brothers, "You're telling me I get all the weaknesses and none of the abilities?"


End file.
